The Edge, Chapter 3. A Rowansford story

“What you are not going to do,” Alice said firmly, “is panic. Jacob and I – we’ve worked against the odds before now, and won through. We’re going to take a good hard look at what needs doing here, and see if we can do it.”
“The house is sound,” Jacob said. “No leaks, no damp patches. And you say you own it? No mortgage?”
“No. It’s mine.”
“Well, that’s a big plus too.” Alice took a long look at the kitchen.
“There’s nothing wrong with that cooker that blacklead and brass polish won’t sort out. And a coat of paint would take care of most other things. But I don’t think the walls are sound enough to take paint .”
“I could plaster them – a quick skim would do well enough. If Anita can brush them down for me – I’ll show you how to do it. It’s not too big an area – I can do this room and upstairs in a day. I’m not sure about that stove – but we do still have that old one of ours. Now are you glad I didn’t throw it away?” “New bedding. I’ll get the sewing machine out again. I’ve got plenty of odds and ends of fabric. We’ll paint the walls in here as well. And I’ll lend you a picture of two for downstairs – things to make the place look more lived in.” So while Jacob’s plaster dried on the walls, Anita learnt how to blacklead a stove.
“You’ll need these,” Alice had said, handing her a pair of Jacob’s overalls that she’d turned up. “This is one messy task. I remember it well!”
“You’re so good to me,” Anita said, almost in tears.
“Well, we don’t mean to see you chased out of your own home. Not when you’re doing so well by Amy,” Jacob said, almost cross. Alice’s sewing machine, and a bit of paint had made a huge difference to the bed and cot. When Anita tried to thank Alice again, Alice hushed her up.
“You know we lost our Sarah. And I never got to do this for her – or her baby. Let me do it for you instead. It’s nice to be wanted, needed.”
She didn’t mention Luke, but Anita could see that he no longer needed them, though there was no doubt that he still loved them. An orgy of cleaning, sanding and painting followed – Anita had never worked so hard! And if it hadn’t been for Alice having Amy round at the farm while she did her sewing, Anita would never have had the time to do it all either. Alice made some pretty curtains, lent Anita a clock, swopped playmats with her – “The blue looks better,” – and showed Anita how to get rid of the stains on the sink (and the bath, and the toilet as well). “We’ll have to do something about the door to your bathroom. If it’s all right with you, I suggest moving your front door to the bathroom, and putting a better front door on. We’ve got an old one in the attic…”
Anita laughed. “Let me guess. You knew it would come in useful one day!”
Jacob grinned, a little shame-faced. “But I was right! Alice has to admit that! If you take Amy over to her, I’ll make a start, and then you can paint upstairs when you’re back. I’ll get those doors done today, no problem.”
Three days to go – and they might just make it. Alice’s sewing, Jacob’s plastering, Anita’s painting – the bedroom was a very different place now. Alice brushed Anita’s thanks aside.
“I had the fabric in a trunk in the attic. I knew it would come in useful one day.”
Jacob put up a couple of shelves, and Alice unearthed some old and much-loved toys to go on it.
“Amy can have these. It would be nice to think that they were being played with again. That top, and the jack-in-the-box: they were mine when I was a child. I know you’ll take good care of them, my dear.” “I’ve brought the tools – today, we’re making a garden. Weeds out, fence up, plants in. What time are they coming tomorrow? Right – well, Alice and I might just well “happen” to drop by. Just play along with whatever we say. And if we can find someone else to rope in…Don’t worry, Anita – we won’t let you be pushed out. And no-one will take Amy from you.” “Alice, this is amazing! I can’t thank you both enough. You must be exhausted.”
“You’d think so, but I’ve got more energy than I’ve had for ages. The plants I’ve brought over for you should do fine for tomorrow – they might well take nicely, as long as you keep watering them. It’ll be all right, you’ll see.”
“And actually, Alice is really pleased to do all this for you, my dear, because it’s cleared out all this fencing from where I’d stored it!” Looking back on it, the whole visit was really quite funny. The social services lady had only just arrived and begun introducing herself and explaining the purpose of the visit when Jacob appeared. Anita suspected he had been hiding among the trees (she was right!) until the right moment. Amy nearly wriggled out of Anita’s arms in her eagerness to see Jacob, and he scooped her up and chatted to her, before turning and apologising to Anita’s visitor. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea Anita was expecting a visitor today – do forgive the interruption.”
Jacob’s twinkly-eyed charm was hard to resist, and Amy’s affection for him was unmistakeable.
“You forgot Amy’s book yesterday – I found it behind the settee. And I know it’s one of her favourite bed-time stories, so I thought I better drop it off.”
“Oh, Jacob, thank you so much! We were okay last night, but two nights in a row might be pushing it.” Anita was quick to pick up Jacob’s cue, and to thank him for the book he pulled out of his pocket for her.
“Worse a worse,” Amy chanted, seeing the picture of Little Miss Moppet on the cover of the book. They’d not been talking for long when two more visitors turned up: total strangers as far as Anita was concerned, but they were obviously part of Jacob and Alice’s plan. “Oh, how do you do? Let me introduce myself. I’m Archibald Pettistree, and this is my wife, Flora. And…?”
A lift of his eyebrow, and Anita had the pleasure of saying, “This is Ms Hapgood. From the Social Services. Someone,” and she emphasised the ‘someone’ heavily, “has apparently raised doubts about whether Amy is being properly looked after.”
She had to hand it to them both – they played it just right. “Amy? Not well looked after? That’s ridiculous! But – you have a job to do, and you’re quite capable of drawing your own conclusions. We’ll go, and leave you in peace. Anita, my dear, we only stopped by to say we’re not out on Sunday after all, so if you’re still free for lunch, we’d love to have you both over, as we originally planned.”
“Oh, thank you both. Yes, that would be lovely. The same time?”
“One o’clock,” Archibald nodded, and then they both left, waving goodbye to Amy who – thankfully – waved back. Alice didn’t appear until the visit was nearly over.
“Anita, my dear – the eggs I promised you. And thank you so much for all your help in the garden the other day.”
Anita listened in some disbelief as Alice transformed herself into the sort of gushing female that she wasn’t!
“Such a lovely child, Amy is,” Alice said, in response to a seemingly innocent question from Ms Hapgood. She’s been a little ray of sunshine in our lives right from the start, haven’t you my poppet.” Fortunately, Amy chose this moment to beam at Alice, and come out with one of her long and semi-intelligible sentences.
“Yes, you can play with the dolls’ house again next time you come and see us,” Alice said, and Amy clapped happily.
“You’ll be over as usual on Wednesday, won’t you, my dear? And Friday, I could really do with a hand if you’re free – but I mustn’t keep your visitor waiting.” “Who did you say you were, by the way – I didn’t quite catch it.”
And when Ms Hapgood had explained, Alice went into full-on anxious mode.
“Was this an anonymous tip? Because a few years back – actually, it must be about ten by now: how time flies – there was a spate of anonymous tip-offs to Social Services. No-one ever found out who was at the bottom of it, either, but someone was obviously out to make mischief. Ask one of the older staff – they’ll remember it. I do hope this isn’t the same person starting up again. That’s such a worrying thought…”
Eventually, Alice let Ms Hapgood escape her conversational clutches, and left Anita and Amy alone with her again. “We did it!” Jacob plonked a bottle of (very good) home-made wine on the table.
“We choked her off! She’s going to leave Anita and Amy alone! She actually practically apologised to Anita, but did the whole you-can-understand-we-have-to-be-most-careful routine.” He fetched some glasses and began pouring the wine.
“Oh Jacob, we do have some proper wine glasses, you know.”
“It’ll taste the same out of these,” Flora said, consolingly. “Is it your damson wine?”
And when Alice nodded, Archibald said, “Oh good.” “Here’s to valiant rescues!” Jacob said.
“I’ll drink to that,” Alice replied.
“We’d better have Amy and Anita over for that meal,” Archibald said, “in case she checks up. Will you two come as well – that’ll be nicer for them both.”
“I wonder who did tip off social services though? Do you think that anonymous nutcase is doing it again?” “I hope not,” Flora said gravely, thinking of the mayhem that had resulted from the previous spate of malicious accusations. Lucilla couldn’t believe her eyes. How had this happened? She’d seen the state of the place only a few weeks ago – who had helped her do all this? She was going to have to think of another plan – and fast. But first, she needed to win Luke’s parents over completely – they’d have to agree to leave the farm and go into an old people’s home or something pretty soon after the wedding. She’d visit them again, as soon as she could.